


Anything is Pawsible

by tirralirra



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Canon Compliant, Established Relationship, Fluff, Getting Together, Gratuitous dog photos courtesy of one Miya Atsumu (alas—only mentioned), M/M, Post-Time Skip, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Time Skip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-16 08:22:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29079306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tirralirra/pseuds/tirralirra
Summary: Sakusa Kiyoomi likes dogs. This is a revelation, as far as Atsumu is concerned. And maybe, just maybe, it might open the possibility for much more between the two of them.
Relationships: Miya Atsumu/Sakusa Kiyoomi
Comments: 12
Kudos: 176





	Anything is Pawsible

**Author's Note:**

> Based on my recent thread fic [ here](https://twitter.com/tirralirralirra/status/1355177958558887939?s=20), the result of a frenzy that the new season four OST cover drop inspired in me. This is an expanded version that includes the ending/additional details that I imagined, but did not know how to fit into a "short" thread fic.
> 
> Please enjoy the fluffy SakuAtsu dog dads that will forever exist in my heart!

It's late at Ajinomoto training center's dorms. Well, late enough considering the training at this level, Atsumu thinks. He's pushing curfew, just a bit, but he likes to take some time and space to himself after working with and adapting to a whole host of different and wildly talented hitters. 

He loiters at the vending machines in the common area, one hand on a warm can of coffee, the other typing out rapid-fire responses to Osamu on his phone.

Someone else rounds the corner and makes a beeline for the machines, but Atsumu pays them no mind. The sounds of coins and a drink dispensing are loud in the otherwise still room.

Whoever it is doesn’t leave right away. Eyes flicking to the side, Atsumu sees Sakusa Kiyoomi move to settle onto a chair across from Atsumu, clutching a drink and looking fresh from the baths. He doesn't seem interested in talking to Atsumu, leaning back with his head tilted up, eyes closed.

As far as he knows, the whole high school team rivalry, but polite acquaintances thing is mutual. They may have gone head to head at the last InterHigh, but generally they haven't talked much at this camp. Atsumu has mad respect for this guy and enjoys playing with or against him, but they haven't found much else in common besides volleyball.

Something about Sakusa is also frighteningly attractive to Atsumu underneath that sour expression, and Atsumu...well, he's no coward, but he's just as susceptible to awkward crush denial as any other self-respecting high school second year. He’s not really sure he wants to pursue anything with the near-stranger anyways, friendship or otherwise, what with the persistent aura of stay-away that Sakusa seems to emanate. That, and the distance—nothing about Sakusa indicates that he’d be prone to text conversations anymore than talks in person. Impossible.

They sit in a comfortable silence, each in their own thoughts. Atsumu eventually forgets about his quiet companion in his quest to rile up his brother from five hundred kilometers away. Can’t let the guy get too comfortable with their room to himself, after all.

Suddenly, a shadow looms over Atsumu, and he almost jumps, engrossed as he was in a flurry of messages from Osamu. He blinks up at Sakusa. The spiker has a fierce look on his face, eyes narrowed in scrutiny. The effect is somewhat lost by the way a bath has blurred his hard edges though, curls loose and soft, skin warm and refreshed.

"...Can I help you?" Atsumu finally asks, genuinely a little concerned. Did he do something to piss off the guy, either now or earlier?

"...cute..."

It takes a second for that to register. "Excuse me?" His eyes widen, bewildered. He can feel a flush crawling up his neck.

Sakusa pulls his hand out of his pocket and gestures at Atsumu's phone.

"The dogs. They're cute."

Oh. His phone case has stickers of the family pets on the back. He flips the phone back up between them for a clearer look at the smiling pups, one black, one white, each in their own little star emblazoned on the red phone case.

"Um. Yeah, they're mine. I mean, my family's. Uh. Their names are Choco and Bani..."

They stare each other down. This is the part where Sakusa is supposed to say something back, but for some reason Atsumu feels like he's the one making a social faux pas with the way Sakusa's eyes narrow even more.

Nervous, Atsumu flips the phone back up and opens his phone's photos.

"Er...do you want to see more photos?" he tries, at a loss for anything else to say.

Sakusa nods, and then...spins around to sit down next to Atsumu on the bench. He leans into Atsumu's space, hovering, centimeters from pressing into his side.

Atsumu swallows, hopefully inaudibly, and starts flipping through recent photos of the dogs, babbling about their antics to a surprisingly rapt Sakusa.

“Well, Choco, she’s a little older, but definitely more playful. We taught her how to fetch the newspaper, but when we got Bani, he thought it was a game, so sometimes the paper ends up carried between the two of them…”

Atsumu pulls up the corresponding video, glancing at Sakusa every few words. Sakusa mostly just nods or makes small affirmative noises to each of Atsumu's stories, but he's definitely paying close attention. There's a sparkle in his eye. Atsumu swears he even sees a small twitch of his lips into a smile at one point.

They lose track of time. Atsumu startles a bit when he glances at his phone’s clock, then looks up to confirm the time and sees that it's well past curfew.

"Oh, man. Geez, we should really go to sleep, Sakusa."

Sakusa looks at the clock with Atsumu, blinking slowly, the magic of dogs wearing off with each flutter of lashes. He's back to Sakusa Kiyoomi, taciturn, top-three spiker.

"...Yeah," is all Sakusa says as he stands up abruptly and makes to leave.

Atsumu can't believe this guy, getting all cozy and cooing over dogs with Atsumu (well, the Sakusa Kiyoomi equivalent of cooing), then just up and leaving. Is there a term for this? Dog rates and run?

But Sakusa turns back, and his lips hint slightly upwards again. "Thanks, Miya."

Atsumu freezes, unsure of what to say. "Yeah. Of course, I mean, I like—I like dogs. My dogs. Of course I like my dogs. You can see them anytime. I mean. If you want photos or. Uh. If you're ever in Hyogo and want to meet them..."

What is he saying? When is Sakusa ever going to be anywhere near his home prefecture, much less on close enough terms with Atsumu to visit his childhood home? Atsumu blinks furiously in the face of Sakusa’s quiet appraisal, then breaks eye contact and rubs the back of his neck.

"...Yeah. I'd like that," Sakusa finally replies, obliterating any last ounce of coherency that Atsumu may have had. "Night, Miya."

Then he turns, and walks away.

Atsumu takes a deep breath. He lets it out slowly. He looks down at the big puppy eyes of Choco and Bani, and feels a giddy sort of feeling work up from his chest and break across his face in a smile.

"Thanks, guys." Sakusa Kiyoomi likes dogs. He likes Atsumu’s dogs. Suddenly, the prospect of being friends with him doesn’t seem so far-fetched. He doesn't know how he'll get to sleep after this—revelation?—tonight, but it doesn't matter. He'll spend it planning exactly how to get a certain spiker's number. For the sake of fellow dog lovers, of course. Anything is possible, after all.

===

**Me:** Pupdate #23: Took the dogs to the riverside...more like mudslide. Guess we now have another set of twins.  
[Attached image: Choco and Bani completely covered in mud, mouths open in a doggy smile. The white dog now looks near identical to the black dog in its new muddy coat.]

 **Sakusa:** As if one set of Miyas isn’t enough.

===

**Me:** Pupdate #57: Choco teaching Bani how to use the new dog door, haha. Guess an old dog can teach new tricks, huh, Omi-kun?  
[Attached video: Choco going in and out of a dog door, looking back and forth at the other dog. Bani watching and running back and forth before finally figuring it out.]

 **Sakusa:** Don’t call me that. Cute though.

 **Me:** Omi-kun is a cute nickname, yeah. How about Omi-omi then?

 **Sakusa:** Don’t make it cuter! I mean the dog!

===

**Me:** Omi-kun! Pupdate #107  
[Attached image: A treat flies in midair in front of Bani. The dog has the most hilarious and contorted face, tongue lolling, slobber flying, eyes wide and ecstatic.]

 **Sakusa:** Like owner like dog

 **Me:** Um, rude?

 **Sakusa:** Still cute though.

( _The dog or me?_ Atsumu doesn’t type back.)

===

“What are you doing?” Osamu asks, just as Atsumu contorts himself to take a particularly tricky angle of Choco and Bani curled up together. He’s become more creative now that he’s with the Black Jackals full time. He has to take advantage of the time he has with them when he visits home to build up a proper repertoire of dog photos to entertain Sakusa.

“Hm?” Aaaand there. Perfect. He types out a funny caption for Sakusa, ignoring Osamu’s suspicious face. “What d’you mean?”

“Why do you keep taking so many pics of the dogs when you’re here?” Osamu points at Atsumu’s phone. “Like you did before, but it’s definitely more...elaborate now. Sometimes it feels like you visit home just to take pictures of them.”

“What’s it to you, Samu?” Atsumu says. “Maybe I just miss our dogs.” He currently lives at the team’s small dormitory—no pets allowed. It’s not unreasonable that he would miss his dogs, okay?

“You’re such a dork,” Osamu gripes, swiping his phone.

“Hey!”

“...You’re still sending these things to Sakusa?” Osamu quirks an eyebrow at Atsumu as he scrolls through Line. Atsumu snatches his phone back abruptly. There’s no reply to his recent message yet. Sometimes it takes Sakusa a while to get back to him.

“You sure it’s not, uh, unsolicited?” Osamu asks, almost gently. Like he knows exactly how much Atsumu may or may not have feelings of a softer variety for the guy. He probably does. They’ll never talk about it though. “Unsolicited dog pics, is that a thing?”

“I, in fact, do know that they’re...appreciated,” Atsumu snaps back. “No need to be considerate on his behalf, Samu.”

Osamu just huffs. He’s not being considerate for Sakusa’s sake and they both know it. He just doesn’t want Atsumu to get hurt, and won’t ever say it.

“Just...maybe take it easy, huh? Guy’s probably busy in university as much as you’re busy with practice.”

“I would never impede someone’s quest for higher education,” Atsumu drawls, already turning away and focusing back on the dogs. They’re awake now, and looking for attention from the both brothers. The two of them spend the rest of the evening obliging.

Still, what Osamu said gets to him. It’s true, Sakusa always answers his texts, but he never really initiates anything on his end. Maybe Atsumu is more of a bother than he realizes, especially now that Sakusa is at university. They had a pretty good rapport (or so Atsumu thought) throughout the rest of high school with Atsumu’s weekly or bi-weekly dog pics, but things always change after graduating. Maybe Sakusa’s grown out of this?

He’s not going to stop yet, not if this is the only way he’ll get to talk to Sakusa, what with their different paths and different cities right now. He’ll just...slow down a bit. Take a little break, just in case. Universities have to be in some kind of test period right now, right? Midterms or finals or something important like that. He’s sure Sakusa will appreciate his thoughtfulness in the end.

===

**Sakusa:** Any pupdates lately?

 **Sakusa:** [Links to [WeRateDogs](https://twitter.com/dog_rates)]

 **Sakusa:** ^Also, I think you’d like this.

 **Me:** Omi-kun!! 😍 You do love my pupdates! And I follow dog rates too! 

**Sakusa:** [ They’re good dogs, Atsumu. ](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/theyre-good-dogs-brent)

**Me:** Omi-kun??!?! Sending me memes? Be still my heart.

 **Sakusa:** Tell your dogs I said hi.

 **Me:** Will do~ 🐕👋

===

After that, Atsumu feels reassured. Sakusa Kiyoomi is a true fellow dog sap after all. Their messages still stay pretty sporadic at first, as inconsistent and demanding as both university workloads and practices and games can be, but Atsumu no longer feels unsure about sending a cute photo, or a silly meme in doge, or a video of another shiba in another ridiculous place.

And then Sakusa...starts to message back. More than just short, amused replies to Atsumu’s messages. He even sends Atsumu posts too, first just a few to reply to Atsumu, then gradually even more.

Their message history is a whole archive of internet dogs and Atsumu’s family pets, but it starts including other things too. What Atsumu ate for dinner, where Sakusa found a nice place to study, other daily, mundane things. And of course, volleyball—ways they improve their playing, new techniques to try, new rivals to watch.

They’re definitely friends now. And, Atsumu may not have seen the guy in person in over a year, still banking on Sakusa to take his team to this year’s kurowashiki for a glimpse of each other, but if anything, he learns it's true: absence makes the heart grow fonder.

And dog memes make love flourish in that empty space. Much heart, very love.

With every cute dog picture Atsumu hopes a little more for the possibility that Sakusa just might return his feelings someday.

===

**Me:** What would you rate this, Omi-kun? 😚  
[Picture attached: Close up of Atsumu with Choco, faces pressed together, Atsumu pressing a kiss to Choco’s ear, but looking sidelong into the camera.]

_Sakusa is typing_

_..._

**Sakusa:** 14/10 for Choco.

 **Sakusa:** 15/10 for you, Atsumu.

 **Me:**?????

 **Me:** !!!!!!!!

 **Me:** OMI-KUN?!?!?!?!?!

 **Me:**...Kiyoomi?

_Sakusa Kiyoomi is calling..._

===

“Hey, Atsumu,” Kiyoomi says. It’s after practice. Kiyoomi sidles up to Atsumu as they walk back to their apartment together. It’s Atsumu’s turn to cook, so he’s busy scrolling through recipes on his phone and thinking about what they need to pick up from the store on their way back. He doesn’t register Kiyoomi’s voice at first.

Kiyoomi stops Atsumu with a gentle tug on his sleeve, and Atsumu looks over at his boyfriend with a questioning look. 

“What’s up, Omi-kun? Something you’re craving in particular for dinner?”

He inclines his head slightly, carefully, looking deep into Atsumu’s eyes the way he does when he has something important to say. Atsumu leans in unconsciously when Kiyoomi takes his hand. 

“I’d like to take you up on your offer, from all those years ago,” Kiyoomi says, and Atsumu has no idea what he’s talking about. He waits, sure by the look on Kiyoomi’s face that he’ll get an explanation shortly. 

“Back at the All-Japan training camp, when we first met. You said I could meet Choco and Bani, anytime, if I were ever in Hyogo, and, well—” he gestures to his side, as if to point at the neighboring prefecture, “—close enough now, right?”

Atsumu has to think quite a bit to retrieve that memory, and even then, it’s the barest whisper of recall; he mostly remembers being flabbergasted at the then-mostly-stranger high school spiker being friendly with him. 

They’ve been together a few years now, but it’s true, Atsumu realizes with a start. Kiyoomi has not visited Atsumu’s home with him yet. He just started on the Jackals this year, after all, and they’ve been busy with the season and settling into their new place.

Atsumu smiles, then starts to snicker. Kiyoomi pouts, but Atsumu leans in to nuzzle their noses together. “Of course, Omi-kun. We can go this weekend, if you want! Choco’s slowing down a bit, but she’ll still jump right up to greet you, I’m sure. And Bani will be thrilled to have another sucker to beg for treats...”

He launches into more stories about the dogs as they continue walking. New ones, old ones—it’s all familiar to Atsumu now, Kiyoomi at his side, still listening with rapt attention, but now with the addition of a fond smile too, and a warm hand in his own.

They can pick up something extra special for the two dogs from the pet store on their way home too, now that Atsumu thinks about it. Their apartment is dog-friendly, and both a groomer and a specialty pet store are within a short walking distance. Atsumu isn’t surprised; Kiyoomi picked it out, after all, always one step ahead.

Atsumu doesn’t know who will be happier—Kiyoomi, finally meeting the dogs, or the dogs, meeting Kiyoomi, or Atsumu himself, having all of the loves of his life together at last.

And after that, well, maybe it’s still a little early to think about this—still figuring out their new professional schedule with their personal relationship—but...someday, hopefully soon, they’ll go to the local shelter and pick out a dog that belongs to _them._ Kiyoomi and Atsumu.

It might be a big dog or a small dog, black or white or brown or spotted, long hair or short hair, pricked ears or floppy ones. Maybe there will be more than one. Regardless, they’ll love them together, unconditionally. 

Between the two of them, the possibilities are endless.

**Author's Note:**

> If you read the original [thread fic](https://twitter.com/tirralirralirra/status/1355177958558887939?s=20) already, thank you for taking the time to read this again. Feel free to say hi on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/tirralirralirra/status/1355420862393044992?s=20) and coo over fellow dog enthusiasts Sakusa and Atsumu with me, anytime.
> 
> -
> 
> The names for the dogs are Choco, like チョコレート (Chocolate) and Bani, like バニラ (Vanilla). The actual dogs shown on Atsumu's phone case on the season 4 OST cover are the composers' dogs (Yuki Hayashi and Asami Tachibana)!
> 
> Anyways, that image, coupled with the infamous "dogs are cute" bonus comic on Sakusa from Furudate, has gripped my heart deeply and will never. Let me go.


End file.
